Automatic sprinkler.



AUTOMATIC SPRlNK-LER. APPLICATION rlLEu'xumE 22. 1916.

Mmm 1.9m.

WITNESS www@ 1j. strain is placed- `upon.'the',j solder which .re-"jf":water pressure r, l

. Withtheseand other objects' in' view-"Ti,

cnaitnnso. nnno'r'r, or rrrrsrrnm, innssacnusiiz'rfrs, nssrcnon rronornrns, Gami- WELL' COMPANY, 0F PITTSFTELD,

accenna.

MASSACHUSETTS, A COPARTNEB/SHTP.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLJER..

specmcation of ieders raient. Patented mw, ma 1pm,

Application filed .Tune 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,281.

of automatic-sprinklersrandhas forlits object to provide a'structure ofthis character which shallbefcompact, safeand durable,w4 and quick andeiic'ient 'when the tem`pera-y ture rises above the predetermined .marimum. This Theiiec't by'. 'compounding the leverage in such a' mannerthat very fslight,

tains the parts of thelocking and releasing-li member vtogether,"butgreat-pressurev is exercisedtheinstant the' solder is meltedto disruptthe capfretaining means with' almost explosiveedect; so'that quickopera- '.5' tion is insured wholly independently of the` have vdevisedthe novel automatic ,sprinkler which'llwillnow describe, referring tothe accompanying drawing forming a part ofv i this specification andusing i reference char-v A. acters to indicate the several parts z-4Figure l 4is any elevation.- ofmy-'novel` sprinkler, as in use; Fig, 2 asection on-.thew- 'pj im 2.2 in rig. i,1e0king in the direction.otthearrows; Figs. 3 and 4; detail views of' loo ing and .releasingmember detached;

' i thebracedetached; Figsy5. andf' detail views of. the compressionmember'-detached;z Fi'A Tand 8 views of 'the parts-*of 4 the Fig. 9 aView of the compression plate detached; Fig. 10 a view of thecap'detached,

and Fig. 11 is-a partial elevation,'the posiltion of the partscorresponding'with Fig. 2. l

The Jframe comprises a hollow hub ,20 threaded to engage a socket in awater sup'- ply system, a yoke 21 and a block 22 which is tapped toreceive a set screw 23 and car-l ries adeiector 24. These parts may beof ordinary construction and design. The

opening in the hub is closed by a cap 25 having a concave depression 26in its outer face in which a convex faced-compression plate.

vents displacementl of the parts. The ball and socket engagement of thecompression plate with the cap distributes the pressure,

when assembled, and insures uniform bear-r ing of the cap on the hub.The cap-retain' ing means comprises a compression member 28, a brace 29and a two-part locking and releasing member indicated as a whole by 30.

The compression member is provided with side flanges 31 each having anupper notch 32'and a lower notch 33. At the upper end of the`compression member is a resilient lip 34 whichbefore assembling lies atan acute adapted' 'tolrece'ivethe tip of the set screw, as willl bevmorev fully described.

.angle toftheplane of the upper ends of the iiangesg-Thls lip isprovided with a seat 35 j' wBra-ce 29 is a plate` which is receivedfreely: l

betweentheflanges of the compression mem- -ber and is shown as providedwith a longitudinal' rib to impart additional rigidity.

The ends ofthe brace are rounded, the upper -end having' its bearing atthe intersection of the'resilient lip with the back of the compressionmember, as at 36 (see Fig. 2), and thel lower end having its bearing ina slot 37 in the top of the compression plate. lin the assembledposition, the brace lies obliopiely to the axis of the hub,.the positionyoi' thelower end beingucentral. This enables me to make Ithe structureas af whole very-compact with no parts projecting beyond the spreaderand also insures that the brace will-drop out of the way when thecap-retaining means is disrupted, as will be more fully explained. l

Locking and releasing'. member 30 comprises .an upper part indicatedspecifically by 4() and a lower part indicate-d specifically 'by 4:1. Itshould be understood that the Aterms upper and lower as applied to saidparts and to the notches in the flanges of the compression member whichare engaged by saidl parts respectively, are used merely'for conveniencein description, as it is wholly immaterial in what position thesprinklers are placed. They may inuse be inverted, or placedhorizontally, or in any intermediate position. Part 40, which I term theupper part, is provided with'lugs 27' is seated. A -ribbed .gasket"-38,5,is inter- 42 which in the assembled position engage posed betweenthe cap and the-fed 10;f,tl i @upper notches 32 in the flanges of thecomhub andthe cap is provided on itsyundr pressiimbenyand with a centraloH-set side with a' corresponding rib 39, which pre43`whi1cllesd3c`tiiieen'the iianges of the com- 50 compression member.

. angle plates being sheared off 65 movement of said plates.

pression member and acts to prevent lateral displacement. At the lowerend of part 40 is .anangle plate 44: having an opening 45. `Part 41,termed the lower part, is provided at its lower end with lugs 46 whichin the assembled position straddle the brace, on"

which the member bears, and engage lower notches 33 in the flanges ofthe compression member. Above the lugs is an angle plate 47 which isadapted to lie under and 1n contact with angle plate 44 on part 40 andis provided with an opening 48 registering with opening 45 but smallerthan said opening. The parts of the locking and releasing H member aresecured together by means of a solder which will melt at a predeterminedrela-v tively low temperature, solder being placed between the partsabove the angle pla-tes, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and l1, and also inthe openings in the angle plates. As the opening in the lower angleplate is smaller Y than the opening in the upper angle plate,

a pocket is formed from the solder which also passes through the openingin the lower 2,5 angle plate. In assembling, the gasket, cap

and compression plate are placed in posi- 1 tion, as in Fig. 2. Theresilient lip of the compression member is placed in engagement with theset screw, the" ends of the brace are placed in engagement with the slotin the compression plate, and with the compression member back of thelip, and the 4locking and releasing member (the parts having ofcoursebeen secured together by solder as described) is placed in position withthe upper lugs in engagement with the upper notches and the lower lugsin engagement with the lower notches. The assembling operation iscompleted by turning the set screw down upon the resilient lip andlocking it, whereby strain is placed upon the cap-retaining means as awhole. The tendency is to swing the lower end of the compression membertoward the left, from 45 the position shown in Figs. 2- and 11. Thisrises suiiiciently to melt the solder, the tension of the set screw uponthe resilient lip will cause a general tendency of the several parts ofthe cap-retaining means to y apart. The parts of the locking .andreleas- V ing member will separate, the lower end of the upper partswinging toward the right and the lower end of the lower part toward theleft, the solder in the openings in the by the sliding y and Inpractice, the parts of the cap-retaining means separate with a force andquickness that is practically. explosive. The separation of the parts ofthe locking and releasiiig member releases the compression member, whichswings outward toward the left from its position in Fig. 2, and releasesthe brace. The movement of thel lower end of the compression member andof the lower end of the lower part of the locking and releasing membertoward the left causes the upper end of the lower part of the lockingand releasing member to act as a lever on the upper part of said memberand swing it outward toward the right, the brace serving as a fulcrumfor the lever. In practice the action is so quick that the instant thesoldermelts, all of the parts of the capretaining means are violentlyexpelled from the yoke, leaving the cap free. to be simultaneouslylifted by the water pressure.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. In an automaticsprinkler, the combination with a yoke having a set screw, a hub, a capfor closing the opening in the hub having a concave depression in itsouter face and a compression plate having a corresponding convex face,of a compression member havin a resilient lip engaged by the set screw,and anges having upper and lower notches, a brace engaging said memberand the compression plate, and a two-part locking and releasing member,one of said parts having lugs engaging the upper notches and an angleplate, and the other part having lugs engaging the lower notches and anangle plate registering with the other angle plate, said parts beingsecured together by low-melting solder.

2. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination with a yoke having a setscrew, a hub,

a cap for closing the opening in the hub having-a concave depression inits outer face a compression plate having a corresponding convex face,of a compression member having a resilient lip engaged by the set screw,and flanges having upper and lower notches, a brace engaging said memberand the compression plate, and a locking and releasing member comprisingupper and lower parts, said upper part having lugs engaging thev uppernotches and an angle plate with an opening, and the lower partstraddling the brace and having lugs engaging the lower notches and anangle plate with an opening smaller than the first mentioned opening,said parts being secured together by low-melting solder which also fillsthe openings.

3. In an automatic sprinkler of the character described, cap-retainingmeans comprising a compression member havin()r a resilient lip andflanges with upper and lower notches,

a brace engaging said member back 'of the lip, and a two-part lockingand releasing member, the upper part having lugs engaging the uppernotches and an angle plate, and the lower part straddling the brace andhaving lugs engaging the lower notches and an angle plate lying underthe irst mentioned angle plate, said angle plates being provided withopenings to receive low-meltmg solder and theportions of said partsabove the angle plates being secured together by low-melting solder.

4. AA locking and releasing member for automatic sprinklers comprisingan upper part having at its lower end an angle plate with an opening7and a lower part having at its lower end an angle plate lying below thefirst mentioned angle plate and having a smaller opening, said partsbeing secured together by low-melting solder which also lls 2o theopenings in the angle plates.

5. A locking and releasing member for automatic sprinklers comprising anupper part having at its upper end lugs and at its lower end an angleplate with an opening, and a lower part having at its lower end an angleplate with an opening and lugs, said parts beingl secured together bylow-melting solder which also fills the openings in -the angle plates.

6. Cap-retaining means for automatic sprinklers comprising a compressionmember having a resilient lip, a brace engaging said member back of thelip, and a two-part locking and releasing member, said arts engaging theupper and lower ends o the compression member and the lower part bearingon the brace.

7.`Capretaining means for automatic sprinklers comprising a compressionmember having a resilient lip and anges with upper and lower notches, abrace engaging said member back of the lip, and a locking and releasingmember consisting of an upper part having lugs engaging the uppernotches and an angle plate, and a lower part having a bearing on thebrace, lugs engaging the lower notches and an angle plate,

said angle plates having registering openings and said parts beingsecured together by low-melting solder which also fills the openings inthe angle plates.

In testimony whereof l atliyx my signature.

ormeLnsrc. annorir.

